Outdoor golf driving ranges are popular recreational gathering or congregation spots for those interested in either improving their golf game or simply hitting some golf balls as a way of relaxing. In climates where late fall or winter brings with it snow and cold weather, a typical outdoor golf driving range will be forced to close for the duration of the inclement weather season for any number of reasons, the least of them being other than the presence of snow on the ground. During the summer, outdoor golf driving range operators can, in a fairly efficient fashion, collect driven or hit balls either by hand or through the use of various self-propelled mechanical pick-up devices. In the winter, snow and cold create miserable weather conditions which make most conventional collection methods impossible or at least impractical since a hit ball may be lost in several inches or more of snow and/or ice. Further, the presence of accumulated snow makes the use of most conventional mechanical collection devices impractical. Additionally, the presence of snows hinders manual collection in at least two ways. First, since the ball may be buried in snow, in whole or in part, the ball may very well be difficult to spot from above even if it is of a contrasting or different color than the snow. Secondly, the very fact that snow is on the ground will, doubtlessly, either hinder or make it impossible for the collector to locate the balls. Accordingly, it is a principle objective of this invention to provide a golf driving range which is usable during the snowy and inclement weather months, and which allows for the efficient retrieval of hit balls by the range operator. In addition, it is a further objective of this invention to provide a portable golf driving range that is usable during snowy and inclement weather months, the portability allowing utilization of land not otherwise widely usable in the winter months, while returning full use of the land during warmer-climate seasons.
In the past various techniques have been utilized for providing indoor all-season golf facilities. While enclosed air-inflated domes have been utilized, they nevertheless provide limitations of size which, in turn, restricts the golfer in his ability to observe the overall trajectory of the ball beyond the limitations imposed by the dome-size. The economics of the situation are such that it is impractical and financially unsound to utilize an inflatable dome structure which is large enough to eliminate the limitation and constraint of size.
Additionally, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,680, there is disclosed a system which provides for some limited utilization of a cold weather golf driving and/or practice range. The system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,680 utilizes a series of inverted xe2x80x9cvxe2x80x9d screens which carry yardage indicia, and which are necessarily positioned as a abutment plate or barrier for substantially free flight of the ball to a landing point. The system disclosed presents some difficulties in ball retrieval, particularly when considering the inherent limitations of dimensional configuration. The arrangement of the present invention eliminates these disadvantages and provides a golf practice facility which may be utilized all year-round in areas where climatic conditions result in harsh winters. Furthermore, the present invention provides a portable golf practice facility which may be quickly assembled and disassembled at desired times.
In accordance with the present invention, a golf practice driving range and facility is revealed which utilizes a heated open-ended enclosure for accommodating the golfer particularly in cold and/or inclement weather. The field is essentially unlimited in size and configuration, being conveniently placed on an existing golf fairway or driving range, and for ball retrieval purposes is covered with a network of netting having a configuration with a plurality of recesses or troughs having a bottom or low point with a ball retrieving opening formed therein. While not being essential or critical, the configuration is such that an arrangement or pattern of generally upright posts is provided for creating a support for the network of netting, and thus creating a means for utilizing gravity to cause flow and movement of golf balls to a collection and/or transfer point located beneath each ball retrieving opening in the netting. The covering surface is preferably in the form of plastic film netting or reinforced scrim-like material perforated or reticulated pattern of openings of sufficiently small dimensions so as to reduce any interference with the free movement of the ball across the surface toward one of the ball retrieval openings. The perforated plastic film netting is configured so that golf balls are retained, but snow, ice, and other weather related materials are able to pass through the openings formed in the netting.
Although the size and configuration of the overall installation is virtually unlimited, it is appreciated that the installation can be achieved and accomplished without the need for extensive grading or reworking of the earth or ground surface, thereby being environmentally friendly and ecologically sound. The installation is straightforward and the general configuration of the terrain of the base is preferably replicated in the covering surface. Installation is preferably accomplished through the use of a plurality of post receptacles positioned in the ground for removable securement of respective posts therein.